Apparatus for refrigeration



Jan, 27,

A. L. GIBBS APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATION Filed March 21, 1921 WII'IYESSES AMA 20 L-G/BBS INVENTOR' "*ATTORMEY.

Patented Jan. 211925. v p 1,524,297

UNITED'JSTATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ALONZO L. GIBBS, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

APBARA TUS FOR REFRIGERATION. Application filed March 21, 1921 Serial No.. 454,188.

To allwkom it may concern: rectifier, a condenser, separator, weak liquor Be it known that I,- ALONZO L. GIBBS, a retainer, pre-cooler and expansion coils concitizen of the United States, residing at nected in a manner to permit three cycles to Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and- State of work in unison with each other, producing Oklahoma, have invented certain new and a continuous operation of' the system and 60 useful Improvements in Apparatus for Rea cooling system extending through the varifrigeration, of which the following is a ous elements thereof, operative to progresspecification. sively cool the elements during the flow of This invention relates to new and useful fluid from one end'of the system to the other. improvements in the art of refrigeration and A further object of the invention is to 65 has for an ob ect -to provide a refrigerating provide a refrigerating system embodying a system designed for all sizes of refrigerators battery of two or .Inoregenerators as above and cold storage plants and-to these ends set forth, and means whereby either gen-- comprises a minimum number of parts of erate, or alternately or simultaneouslybe inexpensive character permitting the ecoheated for the purpose above set forth. 70 nomical construction and maintenance of Other objects and advantages of the inthe system. vention will become apparent during the.

Another principal object of the invention course of the following description. is to provide a-refrigerating system embody- The figure is a diagrammatic view illus ing the absorption principles includmgmeans trating the various elements of my improved 7 for cooling the weak liquor and inducing ts refrigerating system and their association. absorption. of the used ammonia gas, said The various elements of the generating,

means being separate and distinct from the conden'sin and expansion elements of the means for anhydrating aqueous 211111101113, system wil be considered first and subsewhereby the weak liquor is always main-, quentlythe method of coolin the same. i

tainedin a cool and proper state to eifec- Therefore, with reference to t e drawing, tively combine with the used ammonia gas. wherein the preferred embodiment of the Another principal object of the invention invention is illustrated, the numerals 1 and is to provide gas separator means and ar- Q'indicate a pair of generators in the form range the same directly in a still or genera of tanks, whlch may be disposed vertically tor for separating ammonia gas from in small systems and horizontally in larger aqueous ammonia and conveying theweak systems. A heater 3 is arranged adjacent iquor or aqua away from the generating each generator and includes a vertical coil means without the use of pumps or other 4 arranged above a heat producing medium 5 mechanical means, and through the cooling 5. The coils 4 are made of such length that or means for conditioning the weak liquor or the aqueous ammonia passing therethroughfor the most efi'ective combination with used will be heated to the proper degree to break ammoniagas; I the bonds of the same to releasethe anhy Another object of the inventionis to pro-- drous gas. The lower end of the coil is 0 vide a refrigerating system embodying the extended through the lower end of its resp'ecv absorption principles and including a battive generator. and is provided with a valve tery of two or more generators for gnerat-- 6 whereby the flow-to the coil may be regu- I ing anhydrous gas, with a condenser, rectilated at will. The upper end of the coil is fier, weak liquor receiver cooler, absorber, extended vertically'thenhorizontally to pro 3 and other appurtenant parts of a refriger'atject through the upper end of its respective ing system .in connection with and connected generator, the terminal of this end of the theretowhereb the anhydrous gas may be coil being directed downwardly and dis driven from t e generator containin the posed centrallywithin the generator directly rich liquor and subsequently absorbed in the above a weak liquor tube 8. This tube exabsorber. after ex andingthrough the ex tends vertically within its respective enerapansion coils and received in'one of the tor and hasits lower end secured to t e botgenerator-am I tom of the generator tank so as to'cl'ose the, ,7

Still another object Of'thiS invention is to same. a provide a refrigerating system'of the absorp- I Verticalpipe sections 9 are connectedto tion" typeembodying generat ng means, a the upper ends of the, generator tanks -1 amino 2 to communicate therewith. A horizontal pipe section connects the pipe sections 9 and at their points of connection are provided with check valves 11. A pressure gau e 12 is connected to this horizontal pipe section 10 for indicating the amount of pres-- sure in the system. A; pipe 13 is connected to the pipe section 10 for conveying ammonia gas to a rectifier 14 which embodies the usual adjuncts of water jacketed coils.

A pipe 15 has one end connected to the "outlet end of the rectifier and to the inlet end of a water jacketed condensing coil 16,

,liquor pipe 19 is provided for each tube 8.

The lower end of each weak liquor pipe 19 is connected. at its lower end to the bottom of its respective tube 8, while the upper ends of the pipes 19 communicate with opposite ends of a pre-csolt'iaQOi Each weak liquor pipe 19 is j; ovid'ed between its ends with a bend, at opposite ends of which are located pipe section 22 is connected to one of the pro-cooler tank and joins a horizontal pipe section 23 which .is unioned to one of the weak liquor pipes. -19 at one end, and its other end communicates with the lower end of amain cooler tank 24.

A weak liquor pipe 25 has one end oommunicating with .the upper end of the main cooler 24 while, its opposite end is extended into avalvecasing 26 arranged upon the top of absorber tank 27. A valve 28 opcrates in"'-'- th evalve casing 26 and is controlled, by a fulcrumed lever 29 within the absorber casing. A float 30 is provided for the fulcrumed lever 29 whereby the valve 28 will be automatically opened upon the weak liquor in the absorber tank 27 receding. A liquid level auge 31 is associated with one end of the 9% tion of the liquid level therein.

The rich liquor pipe section 32 has its upper end extended through the bottom of the absorber tank to a, point a substantial distance thereabove, while the lower end of section is connected to a horizontal pipe section 33 having ammonia valves 34 at the ends thereof. Pipe sections 35 having corresponding upper ends associated with the valves 34, while their lower ends enter the lower ends of the two generator tanks 1 and 2. A check valve 36 is installed in'each pipe section 35 for-a purpose which will herein after appear.

sorber tank for the determina-- A pipe 37 leads from the liquid ammonia receiver 18 through the expansion coils in the refrigerator, thence to the absorber tank 27 with which it communicates through the bottom thereof, and the return gas becomes tically in each generator tank. The outlet end 41 of the main water supply pipe connects with one end of the water jacket 42 surrounding the condenser coils and the water outlet for the same consists ,of a pipe.

line 42 for conveying water to a coil 43 disposed vertically in the main cooler 24. The lower end of this coil. is provided with a check valve 44 and isthen extended vertically to terminate in a T-coupling 45. One man of the T-coupling connects with one end of a horizontal water coil 46 disposed lengthwise of the pro-cooler tank 20. The outlet end of this horizontal coil extends back th'roi 1gli the coil and then extends downwardly through the bottom of the precooler casing and'connects with a vertically disposed ipe line 47 leading to a suitable point of ischargesuch as a sewer.

The upper ends of the water coils within the generators are extended through tops thereof to join a common discharge pipe 48 having check valves 49 at opposite ends thereof. Between the ends of this common discharge pipe 48, a branch is connected thereto and with the pipe line 47 whereby water from the coils may be discharged through the sewer.

Returning again to the T-coupling disposed between the absorber tank and precooler tank, it will be noted that the other arm of the coupling is connected to the dischar e end of a horizontal coil 50 disposed within the absorber tank as clearly shown.

The inlet end of this coil is furnished with cool water by a branch'pipe 51 of the pipe line 42 leading from the condenser coil to the main cooler coil 43.

Having thus described the ap aratus with which the invention is practic I will nowtrace through the various cycles thereof. It will of course be understood that aqueous ammonia. may be injected into both generatorsxwhich may be operated. simultaneously, alternately, or one at a time. Assuming-that both generators are adapted to operate alternately and the generator 2 is charged with aqueous ammonia, the charge will pass into the heating coil 4 associated with the generator 2. The heating coil is made of such length that when heat is a plied and the rich liquor passes through c ammonia in the strong liquor has been conrectifier with same arriving at the terminal 7 of the upper end of the coil, a large proportion of verted into anhydrous gas and passes out through pipe 9, at the same time the weak liquor in the heating coil, is emptying into the weak liquor tube 8 and by the pressure in the generator tank is, forced up through the pipes 19 into the pre-cooler tank where the week liquor is primarily cooled ready for the cooler 24.

From the pipe 9, theammonia gas which is warm from the heater passes into the 14, where the steam that goes over the. anhydrous gas is condensedand drains back into the generator. The an; hydrous gas passes out of the rectifier through the pipe line 15 into the condenser pipe 22 into the bottom of 16 where it is condensed into anhydrous and drains out through the pipe line 17 into the receiver 18. From here, it is expanded through the refrigerator and after performing its duty in the expansion coils which may be interposed in the pipe line 37, passes out as gas through the back pressure line 37 to the absorber tank 27.

As the weak liquor was traced to the precooler 20, it will be taken up from here and carried to its destination.

The weak liquor passes from the pre-cooler 20 through the the main cooler 24 wherein it is cooled to a greaterdegree by thewater coil, 43 extending through the cooler. From here, the through the pipe 25 and is admitted into the absorber tank 27, provided of course the same is not full and the valve 28 therein is open. In this absorber tank, the weak liq.-

nor is cooled toa greater degree and is more susceptible to combination" with the used ammonia gas entering through the back pressure line 37.

This used ammonia gas from the expansion coils combines with the weak liquor in the absorber to convert the weak liquor into a righ liquor at which time it is ready to return to the generator. 'As it was assumed that the generators operate alternately, one

pair of valves 34 and .36'adjacent the generator 2 are closed and the corresponding pair adjacent the generator 1 are left open whereby the returning rich liquor may pass into the pipe section 35 of the generator 1 and gain admission thereto in order that this generator may be ready to operate immediately upon the generator 2 becomin exhausted of aqueous ammonia. It will therefore be obvious that first one generator will Joperate then the other and the operation as is, desired. It is y noted that three d1 will continue so lon also .to be particular rect cycles of operation are embodied in the present apara-tus and that these cycles Wot-k unison with each other, doing the same. work which heretofore cram on weak liquor passes accomplished with machinery of moving parts.

It is to be understood that both of the so called generator tanks 1 and 2 are charged with richaqua ammonia, preferablyin the proportion of 40% anhydrous ammonia and water. The operation of the apparatus can perhaps be more clearly understood by dividing the operation into two steps, one treating with the course taken by the anhydrous gas and the other, taken by the weak aqua ammonia or liquor. For the course taken by the anhydrous gas and in which a complete cycleoccurs, we will start at the so called generator tank 2 wherein anhydrous gas is separated from the weak aqua ammonia by means of the heater 3 and Weak liquor tube 8. The anhydrous gas passes up throughpipe 9 and into the rectifier 14 from whence it passes into the condensing coil 16 to be condensed into a liquid from which it passes into the receiver 18 as anh drous ammonia. From the receiver,

the an ydrous ammonia liquid passes to the refrigerator coil and expands into a gas to pass to the absorber 27 wherein anhydrous gas meets with the weak liquor coming from the weakliquor cooler. After the anhydrous gas has been absorbed by the weak liquor to form a rich ammonia liquid, it drains back first placed in the number 1, thereby liquor, to form what. I term as the weak 4 liquor cycle, is as follows: The rich aqua ammonia in the so called generator 2 passes through the heating coil 3' where the bonds are broken, ,1 the anhydrous ammonia gas taking itscourse as set outin the foregoing paragraph, leaving behind the Weak liquor which drains into the weak liquor tube 8 andis forced by the pressure in the so called generator tank into the pre-cooler 20, cooler 24-and then into the absorber tank 27 where it unites with the anhydrous gas froin the expansion coils and becomes rich liquor to drain back to the idle generator 1 which is being used as a storage while generator 2 is generating, thus bringing the rich aqua ammonia back to its original state and place.

. .Particular attention is called to the way in which the anhydrous gas is separated from the ammonia or rich liquor, and the location of the means for carrying out this function since b it, and the co-relation of other parts of t e apparatus, it is possible tooperate a refrigerating system by naturallaws and withoutthe use of pumps, compressors-or other moving parts. Also'due to the fact that the separation of gas and aqua occurssolely within the generators, conveying the weak liquor'while at or above two hundred and twelve degrees Fah eit (while at that high temperature it w! it also a great asset to the apparatus, inasmuch as the weak liquor is fed into the absorber tank until there is just a sufficient amount to absorb the ammonia gas coming from the expansion coils changing into a strong liquor ready to be conveyed to the generator which has been idle during the operation of the co-acting generator. The

pipe which extends into the absorber tank has its upper end arranged adjacent the liquid level therein so that the richest of the liquor is permitted to drain back into the generator while the weaker solution is caused to remain in the tank until it hasabsorbed the proper quantity of ammonia gas. As soon as a sufiicient amount of renewed or rich liquor passes from the absorber tank to take the liquor below the datum line the automatic valve operates to permit additional weak liquor or aqua ammonia to enter the'ab sorber tank.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred or approved form of I myinvention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts,

materials, dimensions, etc., as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the ap pended claims. 5

'Having thus described my invention what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v I. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plu- 'rality of generator tanks, means connected with each tank for heating the contents thereof and liberating the ammonia gas in the tanks, an absorber, weak liquor receiver means situated directly in each tank for receiving and maintaining weak liquor from the heating means separate from the charge of aqua ammonia in the tanks, a. conduit ineludingexpansion coils and connecting the tanks to the absorber through which ammonia gas is conducted from the expansion coils to the latter, aweak liquor conduit connecting the weak liquor receiver means to the absorber through which weak liquor is forced into the absorber to combine with the ammonia gas from the expansion coils to form rich ammonia l1quo r, and valved 00 duit means connecting the absorber to the tanks through which rich ammonia liqnor can be passed to one of said tanks while another is forcing weak liquor to theabsorber.

2;In arefrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks, means connected with each tank for heating the contents thereof and liberating the ammonia gas in the tanks, an absorber means, means situated directly in each tank for receiving and maintaining weak liquor from the heating means separate from the-charge of aqua ammonia in the tanks, a conduit including expansion coils and connecting the tanks to the absorber through which ammonia gas is conducted from the expansion coils to the latter, aweak liquor conduit connecting the weak-liquor receiving means to the absorber through which weak liquor is forced to the absorber to combine with the ammonia gas from the expansion coils to form rich aqua ammonia llqnor, a float control ed valve in said weak liquor conduit and a float in said absorber for actuating the valve, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the tanks through which rich ammonia liquor can be passed-to one of said tanks while another is forcing weak liquor to the ab sorber.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks, means connected with is forced by pressure in the tanks to the ab sorber to combine with the ammonia gas from expansion coils to form rich ammonia liquor, a float lever pivoted within the absorber and having a float on one end thereof, a valve carried by the other end of saidfloat lever and arranged said weak liquor conduit to regulate the flow of weak liquor into the absorber, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the tanks through which rich ammonia liquor can be passed to one tank while another is forcing weak liquor to the absorber.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a generator tank, cooling means for the weak liquor, an absorber tank having communication with said cooling means, a vertically disposed tube arranged inthe generator tank and extending to a point spaced below the top of the tank, a weak liquor pipe connected to the lower end of the vertical tube for conducting the weak lot) by the ammonia gas may pass into the tank and the Weak liquor will be discharged into the vertical tube.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks, means connected with each tank for heating the contents thereof I and liberating the ammonla gas in the tanks,

' mg ofi ammonia gas,

cooling tanks for weak .a conduit including expansion coils and conto the absorber through an absorber, a weak liquor receptacle situated directly in each tank for receiving and maintaining weak liquor from the heating means, separate from the charge of aqua ammonia in the tanks, a conduit including expansion coils and connecting the tanks which ammonia gas is conducted from the expansion coils to the latter, a weak liquor conduit connected to the absorber and to the bottoms of the weak liquor receptacles in the tanks through which weak liquor in the receptacle is forcedto the absorber under pressure from thetanks to combine with the ammonia gas from the expansion coils to form rich ammonia" liquor, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the tanks through which rich ammonia liquor can be passed to one tank whi e another is sorber.-

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of generator tanks, a pipe connected thereto for conveyprimary and secondary liquor, a pipe connecting each generating tank and primary cooling tank forconveying weak liquor to forcing weak liquor to the abthe latter, a by-pass connecting oneof said pipes to the secondary cooling tank, a valvein said by-pass for controlling the passage therethrough, an outlet pipe for the weak liquor connecting the primary cooling tank and the by-pass, an absorber tank havin connection with the secondary cooling tank, means for conducting used .ammonia gas to the absorber tank, and means for conducting the rwult-ant rich liquor from the absorber tank back to the generator tanks.

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks charged wit aquaammonia, means connected with each tank for heating the contents thereof and liberating the ammonia gas in the tanks, an absorber, avertically disposed tube arranged in each tank and having its bottom closed and its top openinginto the tank, a weak, liquor conduit connected to the absorber and to the lower ends of the vertically disposed tubes,

necting the tanks to the absorber through which ammonia gas is conducted from the expansion coils, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the tanksthrough which rich ammonia liquor can be passed to one tank while another is forcing weak liquor tothe absorber 8, In a refrigerating apparatus, a

ammonia in the generator tanks, a conduit plurality of generator tanks, connected with to the absorber.

including expansion coils and connecting the generator tanks to the bottom of the absorber tank for conducting ammonia gas to the latter, 'a weak liquor conduit connecting the weak liquor receiver means to the top of the absorber tank through which weak liquor is forced to the absorber to combine with the ammonia gas to form rich ammonia liquor, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the grenerator tanks through which rich ammonia liquor can be passed to one generator tank while another is forcing Weak liquor to the absorber tank.

.9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks charged with aqua ammonia, means connected to-each tank for heating the contents thereof and liberating the ammonia gas in the tanks one at a time, an absorber, means situated directly in each tank for receiving and maintaining weak liquor from t-he heating means separate from the charge of aqua ammonia in the tanks, a conduit including arectifier, condenser coil. a receiver and an expansion coil connecting the tanks to the absorber through which ammonia is passed through the rectifier, condensed in the-condenser coil and passed as liquid. ammonia to be evaporated in the expansion vcoil and passed as ammonia gas from the expansion coil *to the absorber, a weak liquor conduit connecting the weak liquor receiver means to the absorber through which ,wea'k g liquor is forced into the absorber to combine with the ammonia gas from the expansion coil to form rich ammonia liquor, and valved conduit means connecting the absorber to the tanks, through which rich ammonia liquor can be passed to one of said tanks while another is forcing weak liquor 10. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks containing aqua ammonia, an absorbertank common to all generator tanks, a vertically disposed weak liquor tube in each generator tan-k having {its top open and its bottom closed, a conduit connected to the lower end of each tube and to the absorber tank, and means for heating the aqueous ammonia in each generator tank and including a conduit leading to'each generator tank and having its discharge end disposed to discharge weak liquor into its respective tube, and anhydrous gas into its respective generator tank.

11. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks adapted to contain aqueous ammonia, an absorber situated with respect thereto so as to dram by gravity I to the generator tanks, a separate rich liquor Y inlet pipe for each generator tank andj havmg a valve to regulate the flow of liquor therethrough, a conduit connected to said pipesand to the absorber whereby weak liquor can be conducted to either of the generator tanks, a weak liquor receptacle situated in each generatortank and having its upper open end communicating with the generator tank above the liquid level therein, a conduit communicating with each weak liquor receptacle and the absorber, and a heating conduit associated with each generatortank and having one end-communicating withits respective generator tank and its opposite end extended into said generator tankfand terminating directly above the weak liquor receptacle therein so as to discharge weak-liquor thereinto and ammonia gas intothe generator tank.

12. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of generator tanks adapted to operate one at a time and alternately a valved ammonia gas pipe extending from the'top of each generator tank, an absorber, a separate valved pipe for each generator tank in communication therewith, a conduit conneoted to said pipes and to the absorber, the absorber being arranged to cause rich liquor therefrom to gravitate back to either generator tank, a weak liquor receiving receptacle arranged in each generator tank and having its upper end open and disposed above the liquid level therein, and a. heating conduit for each generator tank having one end communicating with the bottom/0t its respective tank and its other end extended into its respective tank and terminating digenerator tank, means for heating the contents thereof and liberating ammonia gas in said tank, a vertical weak liquor tube situated in said tank for receivin weak liquor from the heating means and retaining it separate from the aqua ammonia in said generator tank, and means for discharging weak liquor from the bottom of said tube by pressure of the ammonia gas in said tank.

15. In a refrigerating system, a pair vof tanks charged with aqua ammonia, means connected to the tanks for alternately heating the contents thereof for separating the weak liquor from the ammonia gas, an absorber, a conduit for conveying weak liquor from the tanks to the absorber, and a conduit for conveying rich liquor from the absorber'to either tank.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

ALONZO L. GIBBS. Witnesses:

M. HARVEY, S. N. Gamma. 

